Tampa law prohibits redeveloping a downtown block

According to Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, a city law passed years ago is preventing the redevelopment of an important downtown block.

The law aims to preserve a portion of the aging buildings on that street, but actually caused developers to put the brakes on refurbishing the neighborhood.

Jeff Ross opened the Bua Thai restaurant on North Franklin Street seven months ago.

So far, Ross says his customer base isn't what it could be.

"I have people come in that I speak with who don't even know I'm open because there's no reason to come down on this end of town," says Ross.

One big reason for that can be found on the city block just north of Bua Thai.

That's where the buildings once home to Kress, Woolworth's, and Newberry's have stood empty for years.

Four years ago, developers proposed building two condominium towers in the area.

However, after city council members passed a law requiring the preservation of the facades of the Woolworth's and Newberry's buildings, the plan never got off the ground.

Iorio says the law was a mistake.

"You have to be very careful that you don't arbitrarily treat someone in a way that causes them to board up their property and walk away from it," says Iorio. "Which is exactly what's happened in this instance."

According to Iorio, it's impractical to expect developers to build a modern structure around old, crumbling walls.

City council member Charlie Miranda says not only are those rules preventing the development of that one block, but everything to the north of Franklin Street.

Miranda says, "What are we going to do -- leave it the way it is for eternity? And build around it? Or are we going to change downtown?"

Mayor Iorio says she is calling upon city council members to change the law, and they are expected to vote on the matter in the coming weeks.

They recently postponed a vote on the redevelopment requirements because city staff is still negotiating an agreement that's fair to developers and the city.